Pets in the UK

The Census!

Pet ownership has certainly changed somewhat in the 143 years since GJW Titmuss was founded. Today, in the UK, around 48% of households own a pet, this is the equivalent of 13 million households. There are around 24 million pets owned within the UK, and this number doesn't even include fish!

The following shows the percentage of households owning a pet in the UK is:

DOG

23%

CAT

19%

Indoor
FISH

9%

Outdoor
FISH

6%

RABBITS

2.7%

Indoor
BIRDS

2%

GUINEA
PIG

1.5%

HAMSTERS

1.4%

Domestic
FOWL

0.6%

LIZARDS

0.6%

Turtles/
TORTOISES

0.6%

SNAKES

0.4%

Rats

0.4%

Horses/
PONIES

0.2%

GERBILS

0.1%

Dog Statistics

PFMA’s research shows that the difference in pet trends depends on where in the United Kingdom you live.

This is illustrated by the following: (hover over the region for specific statistics)

Please choose a region belowDogs (%)Cats (%)Other (%)

Rescue Centres were found to be the no.1 place to get a dog, which is a heart-warming statistic, with 32% of dogs coming from centres.

32%
Rescue Centre

16%
Breeder

6%
Pet shop

25%
From friend

16%
Private advert

5%
Internet

The Labrador is the most popular breed of dog closely followed by:

LABRADOR

1.1m

JACK
RUSSEL

0.8m

COLLIES

0.6m

YORKSHIRE
TERRIER

0.4m

GERMAN
SHEPARD

0.2m

21% of owners got their dog for companionship, with 25% stating that they had always wanted one. Alternatively 10% answered that it was because their child had wanted one, with 14% getting their dog because they or their partner had always had one.

Cat Statistics

Cats are found in 19% of UK households, second only to dogs in popularity. Of the approximately 8 million cats in the UK in 2011, 92% were moggies or non-pedigree.

The main reason people keep cats as pets is for:

29%

Love

27%

Companionship

18%

Always wanted one

12%

Children wanted one

5%

Easy Maintenance

5%

Rescue Animal

4%

Fits in with Lifestyle

Other interesting statistics from research includes:

39%
of London pet owners feel the need for companionship despite having over 7.5 million neighbours across the city!

60%
of single people in the UK buy a pet for companionship, 39% of whom have replaced their partner with a pet.

27%
Over 27% of the UK’s pets were acquired from an animal rescue shelter compared to 20% from a pet shop.

The happiness of pets

The PMFA study also asked over 2000 adults to rank their happiness levels, it was found that pet owners rate themselves happier than those without a pet.

60%
Nearly 60% of people with pets say their pet makes them a happier person

81%81% of people (including non pet owners) agree that “Pets are the antidote to a bad mood”

33%
Almost a third state their pet makes them a healthier person

As you can see, the UK clearly loves its pets! To treat your animal today why not check out GJW
Titmuss’ fantastic range of pet supplies, foods and accessories at www.gjwtitmuss.co.uk.